


Endura

by charivari



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Amica endura, Awkwardness, Conjunx Endura, Fear of Abandonment, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Guilt, Hugging, Involuntary erection, Jealousy, M/M, Polyamory, Reference to threesomes, Rejection, Reunion, Roddy sulks, Self-Reflection, Vulnerable Minimus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 06:11:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4211097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charivari/pseuds/charivari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I missed you," Rodimus said. </p><p>Drift looked him in the optics and smiled,</p><p>"I missed you too."</p><p>Set post Drift's return to the Lost Light. Multiple ships.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Endura

**Author's Note:**

> Because I can't wait for Drift to get back to the Lost Light so I'm forced to write fics about it as my fix.

"I missed you," Rodimus said.

It was easier now he and Drift were alone and the initial awkwardness of his return wasn't so excruciating.

Drift looked him in the optics and smiled,

"I missed you too."

His tone was genuine and Rodimus returned the smile. Their EM fields brushed tentatively. 

Rodimus felt the pull of old tension. Not the I-exiled-you-from-the-ship kind. The one that came with a history of attraction. Rodimus had always desired the swordsmech - and vice versa.

At least, that's the way it had been in the past. Rodimus reached out ambitiously with his EM field only for Drift to pull back.

"Ratchet and I..." he began, guiltily.

"Yeah," Rodimus said abruptly, "I kinda figured that."

In fact it had been obvious. As soon as Ratchet and Drift had stepped foot on the Lost Light, Rodimus had detected their closeness. Unspoken but undeniable, Ratchet's hand grasping Drift's shoulder.

After a rushed speech renouncing Drift's exile, Rodimus had retreated into his office. It wasn't jealousy so much. Well it was a little. But the feeling he had failed Drift was keener. The fact he had lost him to someone more deserving.

After all Ratchet had been the one who had brought him back.

But in the end, after avoiding Drift for cycles, Megatron deriding him for his cowardice and Magnus expressing concern, Rodimus had reached out to Drift of his own accord.

And for a moment, things had seemed like they were about to return to normal.

Only that was never going to be the case. Because Drift had returned to the Lost Light with a conjunx endura. And now his optics were evading Rodimus.

Rodimus could have been bitter. But he had spent too much time being bitter.

"I'm happy for you," he forced out.

Blue optics refocused on him. Rodimus could feel the uncertainty in Drift's EM field.

"Really Drift," he insisted, "I am."

He did his best to smile. The corners of Drift's mouth lifted, but only slightly. Enough to notify Rodimus that Drift was at least attempting to believe him.

"Me and Magnus," Rodimus found himself saying, "We're..."

He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air. Drift's optics brightened with surprise, 

"Together?"

"Er, kinda," Rodimus rubbed the back of his helm, "I mean, sometimes Megs is involved."

"Megs, as in Megatron?" Drift seemed at a complete loss, "How..."

Rodimus shrugged,

"We're co-Captains so it makes sense to share."

"Share a command maybe. Which, by the way, is still weird for me. But sharing berth partners?"

"Only Magnus," Rodimus said, "Anyway Megs has been seeing a lot more of Rung lately. And I don't mean for counselling 'cause he got Rung to take him off his patient list."

"Seems complicated," Drift observed.

"Not really. Magnus and I frag. Megs and Magnus frag. Me, Magnus and Megs frag. Megs and I frag (don't look at me like that). Megs and Rung frag, presumably, I haven't walked in on them or anything."

"Like I said," Drift said, in a dry tone reminiscent of Ratchet's (all that alone time with the medic must have rubbed off on him), "Complicated."

"You're welcome to join in," Rodimus offered, tone deliberately casual.

Drift ducked his helm,

"Thanks," he said softly, "But..."

"Ratchet, yeah," Rodimus pushed back his disappointment, "You could always bring him along. He's good with his hands."

"He is," Drift admitted with a small inward smile, "But things are still new between us and I..."

"Want him to yourself?" 

Drift nodded,

"You don't mind do you?" 

He looked at Rodimus, expression taunt. Rodimus would have given anything to kiss that frown, bite those lips again. Touch Drift in places that made the warrior gasp.

But that was Ratchet's job now. Rodimus could only offer reassurance.

"Of course not," he insisted, "Offer's always open if you change your mind."

But he knew Drift wouldn't change his mind. Drift had always struck him as monogamous. Rodimus just hadn't been the right mech to settle down with. 

Too unreliable. In more ways than one.

"You're not mad that I didn't come after you?" he said quietly.

"I volunteered to leave," Drift answered.

"I know," Rodimus ex-vented, "But I still could have..."

Drift's hand was on his shoulder so fast Rodimus reeled.

"What's done is done," the swordmech told him, "I'm happy to be back. That's all that matters."

Rodimus resisted taking advantage of Drift's proximity, hands clenched at his sides. Groping him would do no good, especially during this spark to spark.

"Friends?" he asked.

"Always."

Drift's reply made him throw caution to the wind. He hugged him tightly. The swordmech didn't hesitate to return the embrace. Between their interlocked bodies came the clunk of Rodimus' spike pressurizing against the wall of his interface panel.

"Sorry," he murmured, "Involuntary reaction. Don't tell Ratchet."

"I won't," Drift murmured back fondly.

~~

"Did you talk to Drift?" Minimus asked.

"Yeah," Rodimus joined the smaller mech on his berth, "Don't look so worried. We didn't get up to anything."

"I know you didn't," Minimus surprised him by saying.

"Oh?" Rodimus said curiously, "And how do you know?"

"Because Drift and Ratchet are conjunx endura."

There had been no official announcement. Rodimus doubted there would be any from Ratchet's end. He liked to keep things private. 

So Minimus' knowledge had probably, most definitely, come from Swerve.

"I never knew you went in for gossip," Rodimus teased him.

Minimus frowned,

"Gossip has the potential to be fact," he attempted to justify, "Taking into account the reliability of the source and the available evidence to make an informed judgement..."

Rodimus laughed,

"Uh huh. Whatever makes you feel better," he gave Minimus' abdomen a fond poke ("Stop that Rodimus"), "But you're right, Drift's shacked up with Ratchet."

"Does that bother you?" 

There was something unmistakably vulnerable in Minimus' tone.

Rodimus suddenly realized he wasn't the only one afraid of being abandoned.

After all Magnus had been aware of Rodimus and Drift's previous relationship. He had caught them in the act enough times. It had amused Rodimus in the past, scandalizing Magnus in this way.

He had never accounted for the fact it might have hurt Magnus seeing him with Drift. Magnus could readily recite broken regulations but not his own feelings. Even recently he had encouraged Rodimus to resolve his issues with Drift for the sake of the crew.

Minimus was selfless like that.

Rodimus was the opposite. Shutting himself away, sulking (yes sulking) over Drift when he had a good thing going with Magnus. 

"Rodimus?" Minimus said in the wake of his silence, "I asked you if..."

His tone had a firmer note of impatience. It made it easier for Rodimus to break into a smile. Minimus hated repeating himself.

"I heard," he looped his arm around the smaller mech, "And the answer is no. Drift and I had fun for a while. But his spark was always set on Ratchet. Besides..."

He pulled Minimus against his chestplate. The smaller mech lay complacent in his arms for a small fraction of second before he started wriggling.

"Besides what?"

Unfinished sentences irked him. Almost as much as unfinished paperwork.

Lovable high-maintenance Magnus.

Rodimus pressed a grateful kiss to the top of his helm.

"I have you."


End file.
